The attic was still trembling. Mr. Smith was still saying, "Nothing is happening." over and over again. It was very annoying. Clyde's hands were crackling with energy. "No! Clyde! Clyde Langer. I know you're still in there, Clyde! The real you! Listen to me!" Sarah Jane yelled over the noise. There was a lot of crashing when the attic didn't stop shaking. "Remember all we've been through!" "Nothing is happening. Nothing is happening." Mr. Smith said as Clyde put his hands down. As he did that, the attic stopped moving. "That's it. You don't want to hurt us." Sarah Jane said encouragingly. "Clyde." Luke began, starting to move towards Clyde. "Stay still. All of you." Clyde commanded, raising his right hand threateningly. "Clyde, come on, what are you doing?" Rani asked, getting anxious. "Quiet." He said.
"Clyde, you can reject it, I know you. You say you're a part of my gang. Well, I never saw it like that, but maybe you're right. We are a gang, a team, we rely on each other. We would never hurt each other." Sarah Jane said, taking a step forwards. "Stay back!" Clyde said in his freaky, half dead slow voice. "Clyde, could you talk normally?" I asked, half-freaked. Clyde ignored me as he zapped the attic roof window with his hand. I gasped. "You've been warned, Sarah Jane. I will destroy you." Clyde said. "You've got orders from Trueman to deal with me, yes?" Sarah Jane asked. "You understand that at last." Clyde said. "Then you can let Rani, Luke and Asha go." Sarah Jane negotiated. "What, Sarah Jane? I'm not going!" Rani exclaimed. "Oh, yes, you are. Now." Sarah Jane said. "She may pass." Clyde said. "I'll get help." Rani said, looking back at us. Sarah Jane looked about to cry. "Now you Luke." Sarah Jane said to her son. "Mum, I'm not leaving you." Luke said. "It's an order." Sarah Jane said shortly. Luke began towards the door. "Clyde, remember what you said last night? Astrology is rubbish." Luke tried to get through to him. "I was wrong. I didn't understand then." Clyde the zombie replied. "What has he done to you?" I asked, knowing that Clyde would never believe in astrology. "I'm sorry you can't feel the way I do. Yet." Clyde said ominously. "Luke, go!" Sarah Jane exclaimed. "Online. Rebooting." Mr. Smith randomly piped up. He had been really quiet.
Martin came on screen. Oh great. "The circles are forming. If you can't find one my children, keep walking. Find a friend, take their hand, form your own circle." He said. The thing kept on going, but I didn't pay attention. I was trying to remember what my star sign was. "What's he talking about?" Luke asked as I came back to earth. "Gemini, then cancer. He's taking over all the star signs, one by one." Sarah Jane explained. "Soon, all the signs will come under my power. At the becoming of the Ancient Lights, I will be king of the world!" Martin yelled. "He's mad." I stated.
The broadcast shut off. "Clyde, this thing that's possessed you, it's alien. More alien than anything we've met before." Sarah Jane explained, turning to Clyde. "It comes from before the big Bang." Luke began. "From another universe." I continued. "You don't understand something so you call it alien. Sarah Jane, you always say there's so much more to the word than most people will ever know. Why not this?" asked Clyde. He needs to get his head checked. "It's made you Trueman's slave. You want that?" Sarah Jane demanded, outraged. "Trueman is the chosen one and I will follow him forever." Clyde said. "Clyde, he doesn't look like Harry Potter or Anakin Skywalker." I said, hoping he would catch the reference. "Not the time Asha." Sarah Jane hissed to me. "Sorry." I surrendered. "And he ordered me to destroy you." Clyde ignored our conversation. "Clyde, you know me. I am never going to submit. I am going to fight this thing and send it back. If I have to, I'll destroy it." Sarah Jane announced, crossing the attic. "Mum, be careful." Luke cautioned. "I know what I'm doing you two, so get out of my way." Sarah Jane snapped at the pair of us. Clyde's hand shot up to kill Sarah Jane. "Can you do it?" Sarah Jane asked. "You got your orders from Trueman. You want to stop me walking out of here? Go ahead. Stop me!" Sarah Jane taunted him, beginning to walk out.
Rani burst into the attic. "Sarah Jane, it's got my mum. Loads of people are just walking off." Rani said, breathless from having run up the stairs. Clyde turned to face Sarah Jane. "I know you can't do it." Sarah Jane said, her voice full of certainty. "Don't tempt him, that's my job." I muttered. "I must stop you." Clyde said through gritted teeth. "Clyde, no." I said, jolting forwards. "Think about what you're doing." Luke said. We finish each other's sentences so often it's creepy. "Clyde, I'm your friend." Sarah Jane pleaded. "You shouldn't have done this, Sarah Jane. You shouldn't have forced me." Clyde said, full of regret. "You can't hurt me." Sarah Jane whimpered. "I'm sorry." Clyde said as Luke put his hand on Clyde's shoulder. Clyde gasped as his eyes rolled up and he fell. Luke ran forward to hug Sarah Jane.
I was confused. Luke touched him, and Clyde collapsed. Does Luke not having a star sign have to do with it? I'll ask later.
Clyde looked up with a hand on his head. "Wh-what am I doing again?" He stammered. "Clyde! Yes!" Sarah Jane exclaimed. "Thank you!" Rani screamed.
"The power's gone. You're free of him." Sarah Jane proclaimed. "So it's all over, then? My mum, she'll be okay?" Rani exclaimed. "I'm afraid that is unlikely Rani. I'm receiving news reports from agencies around the world." A BBC news report came up. "Since the broadcast, some people seem to be hypnotized and have walked out of their homes and places of work." The presenter said. A French channel came on next and stated speaking. I had no idea what he was saying. Next, an American woman was on. "And we've just had that story confirmed. The President has just walked out of the White House and is apparently holding hands with the wife of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan." That was odd. "Wonder how they'll explain that later." I commented. Trueman came on. Again. "It is time. Children of Leo, join the circle." He said. My mum has been taken. Wonderful! Not. "I except the Ancient Lights." The American lady said. "He started with Gemini. It's spreading, taking over everybody." Rani groaned. "He just took my mum." I sighed. "That's what he wants. A world of slaves." Sarah Jane said to us. "Perhaps the Ancient Lights controlled people in the old universe." Luke said. "Oh, I get it. Now they want to control us, through Trueman!" I said, not quite happily. "And my mum's out there, one of them. So what are we gonna do? The government can't do anything and the whole world's going under, so what on earth can the five of us do?" Rani ranted. "We saved Clyde. We can save Gita." Sarah Jane said, laying comforting hands on Rani's arms. "We can save them all." Sarah Jane said, turning away. "But how did we save Clyde?" Luke asked. "The Ancient Lights survived the Big Bang. How could Clyde stop them?" He continued, sitting down next to Clyde. "Don't look at me." Clyde said as everyone, bar me, looked at him. "You must know something." Rani said slowly. "It was like a dream. I can't believe I was saying all that stuff." Clyde said regretfully. "How did you feel when the power left you?" Sarah Jane inquired. "Like I was hypnotized, I suppose. And then, suddenly, the real me was back. It was like, the hypnotized me got switched off. I'm sorry Sarah Jane." Clyde said, full of guilt. "Oh no, you couldn't help yourself. Believe me, I know what it's like to be taken over." Sarah Jane said, accepting his apology. "We don't know how we saved you. So how can we do it again? It's hopeless." Rani said in frustration. "There's always hope Rani." Sarah Jane exclaimed. "Wait. Now, I pushed you. I knew you couldn't harm me. That must be it." Sarah Jane hypothesized. "Lost again. What do you mean?" Clyde asked. "I forced you to do something you could never normally do. Your real self fought against the Ancient Lights and broke free of that influence." Sarah Jane explained to us. "We need to try the same thing with Trueman." Sarah Jane said, moving towards her coat. "But, what if that's not the case? What if, it was Luke who saved Clyde?" I said. "What?" Luke asked in shock. "You touched him, immediately, he collapsed. You have no star sign. What if that's what stopped the lights?" I asked. "Let's try my theory first. If that doesn't work, we'll test yours. Got it?" Sarah Jane said. "Got it." I confirmed. "Come on!" Sarah Jane exclaimed, charging towards the door. We all followed.
"But Clyde's your friend, Trueman isn't. How can you get through to him? Asha's theory sounds a bit more hopeful." Rani said. "I will not let Luke confront him until we know that I'm wrong. I have to try." Sarah Jane said. "But he's taking over all the signs. Luke may be the only safe one. How long before he takes the rest of us over?" I said. "Wait. Trueman's broadcast. He must be using it to transmit his energy around the world." Luke said. "How? He's got control of the world's T.V." Clyde said. "Yes. Controlled from the theatre." Luke hinted. "Switch off the power?" I suggested. "If he hasn't got a camera, he can't transmit anything." Rani cottoned on. "That is a brilliant idea. Come on!" Sarah Jane exclaimed. We quickly got in the car.
While we were driving to the theatre, I started studying for my psychology exam next year. I always keep a book on me. Clyde got annoyed after a while. "Asha, you're a genius, why do you always study in the car? And why do you work so hard?" Clyde half-snapped, half-asked. "I need to do well in the GCSEs next year, and there is no such thing as working too hard." I said, going back to my books.
When we reached the theatre, there was already a huge line of people forming a semi-circle around it, facing out. They all looked blissful and were facing the sky. We parked around the corner. "How do we get past them?" Luke asked while we were walking to the theatre. "We've got to do something." Rani said. "I can get us in." Clyde said. "No, Clyde." Sarah Jane forbade. "I'm a Gemini. One of Trueman's Inner Circle. It's gotta be me." Clyde said, trying to convince Sarah Jane. "I can't ask you to take that risk." Sarah Jane said, raising her hand to show that was that. "You didn't ask. I offered." Clyde said, finding the loophole as usual. "Let's go!" Rani called, beginning to run. We all followed her prompt.
"There are so many now. We haven't got long." Sarah Jane said, getting stressed. "Right, I can do this." Clyde said, getting ready. "You've got to look sort of dopey." I said. "Blissed out." Rani said, trying to be nicer. Clyde pulled a stupid face. "Mmm, make it creepy." Rani said. "All right. Let's roll." Clyde said. "Clyde, you don't have to do this. I'll find another way in." Sarah Jane said. "No time. This is our only way." I said. "It's too dangerous." Sarah Jane said. "Story of our lives." I said cheerfully. "One slip, and they could blast you down." Sarah Jane cautioned Clyde. "If you were in my shoes, you'd do it." Clyde said, making an excellent point.
We walked across the road. "Your face is wrong. Copy them." Luke said, trying to help Clyde not get us killed. "Be quiet, boy." Clyde said, getting into character. "Have you come to join the circle?" Linda, my next door neighbor, asked. "Why have you brought these people? They're not among the chosen." Her husband, George, said. "I'm one of Mr. Trueman's Inner Circle. He sent me out to bring these people to him. They are my prisoners." Clyde said. "But nobody can go in. We have orders to stop anybody that tries." Linda said, letting go of George and another person's hand. George and Linda raised their free hands in a 'stop' way. "But you can't harm me. I'm one of the children of Gemini." Clyde said. "But they aren't. They're not chosen. I think you are lying." Linda said, not buying it. Clyde raised his hand. "And I'm one of the Inner Circle. I know all the mysteries of the stars. Mars has entered the Milky Way and Aero is conjunction with the Galaxy." No, no, no! He's talking about chocolate. "Step aside." Clyde commanded. "We did not know." Linda said. "Pass through, quickly." George said, he and Linda moving aside so that we could enter. "May the Ancient Lights shine upon you." Clyde said as a sort of blessing.
"Wasn't bad, was I?" asked a proud Clyde. "You were magnificent!" Sarah Jane exclaimed, patting his arm. "And I'm expecting a ripple of applause." Clyde joked. "Right, you four. Get backstage. Find the power supply. Switch it off." Sarah Jane said, giving me a slight push, knowing me to be the most stubborn in the group. "Got it!" I cried, running off.
"Come on! He's moving through the zodiac." I said. "When he gets to Aries, I'll be taken over." Rani said. "Yeah, he reaches Aquarius, bye bye Asha." I said. "There must be a switching room. It's a public building. Health and Safety regulation say there must be an emergency cutoff switch in case of a fire or flood." Luke rattled off. "How did you know that?" Rani asked. "Notice board at school." I said. I had read it too. "I remember everything I read." Luke said. We continued looking for the switch.
We ran past a window out onto the stage. "Sarah Jane and Clyde! NO!" I cried. "We don't even know what we're looking for." Rani said, sounding as though she had given up. "The emergency main switch." Luke said factually. "What does that look like?" Rani asked. "Like a switch." I said, stating the obvious. We ran down the balcony seat place, keeping to the wall. "The conjunction. It's starting." I faintly heard Trueman exclaim. There was a faint rumbling in the theatre. "Form the Inner Circle." Trueman commanded as Luke, Rani and I entered an emergency exit.
"Luke! Asha! Down here!" Rani called, running down the stairs. She started unplugging things. I dragged Luke somewhere else to start fiddling. "I'm not letting this happen. Not to my mum." Rani said stubbornly. I turned around and there it was. "The emergency main switch. I found it!" I called. Rani tried to grab it and a shield appeared around it. "Ow!" she said, pulling her hand away. "He's put a shield around it." Luke deduced. "No shoot Sherlock!" I said sarcastically. "No! Mum." Rani moaned. "I accept the Ancient Lights." Rani said as a zoned out looked crossed her face. There was also an orange-y light. "No. Rani!" Luke called as Rani began to walk away. "Go grab her arm you idiot." I said. "Either do that, or flick the switch." I said, running after Rani.
The electricity suddenly went out. Good Luke-y. "I have been chosen." Rani said, same way Clyde had earlier. "No. Rani!" a stressed out Clyde exclaimed. "I only needed the signal to broadcast my instructions. I can find another signal. Right now, it doesn't matter. Don't you understand? The Zodiac is almost complete. Only the children of Taurus to claim. And then even you will know my power, Sarah Jane Smith." I stepped out form the dark. "What about Clyde and I?" I asked, savoring the look of shock that crossed his face as a 'child of Aquarius' was talking back. "How is this possible? You should be under my control!" Martin Trueman exclaimed. "You forgot Aquarius." I said vaguely.
"Mum, I did it." Luke said, joining us onstage. "Nothing can stop it now." Trueman said. "Your wrong. Luke can." I said, pushing him forwards. "Asha was right." Luke said as he took Cheryl and Gita's hands, breaking the chain. Everyone collapsed. Rani stated as the energy left her. "What…" Rani began as she took in her surroundings. "Yes!" Luke yelled. "NO!" Martin shouted. "What happened?" Rani asked Clyde. "No! No!" screamed Trueman, getting down on his knees.
"How have you done this?" Trueman asked Luke. "I wasn't born. I have no birthday." Luke informed him. "No star sign." I finished. "So astrology doesn't work on me." Luke grinned. "The Circle was like an electrical circuit. I broke it." Luke explained why it broke at his touch. "Like you did before. You touched Clyde. It shorted the power." Rani realized. Luke shrugged. "I was right." I said to Sarah Jane. "What are you?" Trueman asked Luke. "He's my son. And he's the center of my universe." Sarah Jane said, putting her arm around Luke. "Everything, everybody is born." Martin said. "I wasn't. And I thought it was a bad thing. Until now." said Luke. It was a different Luke who said it. Yesterday, he wanted to have a star sign like every body else. Now he's proud of it. "You had everything planned. All mapped out in the stars. But Luke's got no stars. No star sign. You didn't even know he was there." Sarah Jane said. "It was the only chance. The perfect conjunction. They're already moving." Martin said, sorrowfully as the theatre rumbled. "The old knowledge of the Ancient Lights will be lost forever. And I'll be lost without them." Martin continued. "We've got to help him!" Clyde insisted. "Let the power go, Trueman." Sarah Jane said. "No! It is foretold." Martin insisted. "Come on, Martin. Step out of the light. Martin!" I said as Sarah Jane held out her hands for him to take. "I was born for this, my destiny!" Martin said. What is it with him and destiny? "There's nothing left for me here. I can't go back to being nobody. Let me go." He said as the energy started to flicker. "Let me go to the stars." He finished as he disintegrated into stardust. We all looked on as he vanished. Sarah Jane turned her torch on, as the theatre was pitch black. "Even at the end, he wouldn't let it go. He must have wanted it so much." Sarah Jane said mournfully. "What happened to him?" asked Clyde, looking up. "Maybe it killed him." I hypothesized. "Or perhaps he went to join the Ancient Lights." Sarah Jane countered. Gita suddenly stirred. "Mum! She's waking up." Rani said in amazement. "She'll be fine. Won't remember a thing." Sarah Jane said happily. "We'd better get out of here." Clyde said. "Unless you fancy explaining it all to her. And explaining all about me and aliens and everything." Sarah Jane emphasized as Rani looked shocked that we were running away. "Hurry up then." I called back cheerfully, running off.
I was with Luke, Sarah Jane and Clyde in Sarah Jane's attic. "Look. My stars. 'Gemini. You will find love in a launderette.' Wrong. Today, I saved the world." Clyde said. I laughed. "By yourself?" I asked. "Well, I helped to save it. I'm part of the world saving team." Clyde backtracked. "Great cover story, eh?" Clyde asked, referring to the cover story we helped come up with. "Up, down, up" Luke said, moving his hand with what he said. "What, what're you doing?" a confused Clyde asked. "I just wondered if you were under my control now." Luke said innocently. "Good idea, we could get him to clean the car." Sarah Jane joked, leaning forwards. Clyde fake laughed. "Very funny. I thought we agreed never to mention that up down thingy ever again." Clyde said. "We never agreed to anything." Luke said. "Only Rani did." I said, winding him up. "Okay. Time to go. I said I'd meet Finney." Clyde said, getting up. He suddenly started patting his pockets. "Wait. Oh, no, no, no." He groaned. "What is it?" Luke asked. "Trueman's nicked my mobile. I've got no mobile. I'm nobody, I'm no one. I don't exist." Clyde exclaimed, getting dramatic. "It's a social disaster." Clyde muttered, walking out. "I've gotta go to. Mum'll freak." I said, walking out. "Thanks for saving the world earlier Luke." I said, popping my head back in. I really did leave then.
"Mum! I'm back!" I called, walking into the house. "Where were you? Everyone being taken over, you missing I thought I had lost you!" Mum called, giving me a hug. "Mum, I was fine. I was with Sarah Jane." I said, comforting my mum. "And what time do you call this young lady?" William, my least favorite male on the planet, asked. I checked my watch. "Uh, 8:30." I said. "I needed Luke to explain a concept in maths that I didn't understand at school." I said. It was true. I didn't understand factorizing quadratics. I just asked him on Friday before the theatre. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go revise the Biology lesson we had on Thursday." I said, running up the stairs. "No running Asha Niko Yamamoto-Jones!" William yelled after me. I stopped and turned to look at him. "William. My name is Asha Niko Yamamoto, not Yamamoto-Jones. So I would appreciate it if you called me that." I said, walking into my room. That was a typical argument we had near daily. I was starting to get a bit annoyed.
an: I don't own Sarah Jane